Air-compressor.



No 797,417- PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905, W. ENGELKING.

AIR GOMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1902.

UNTT ST 1 VVILHELM ENUELKING, OF AACHEN, G-fllltltlANY.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed August 30, 1902. Serial No. 121,664.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1 l/VILunLM: ENenLKINe, a citizen of Germany, residing at Aachen, (:lermany, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air-compressors operated directly by expansion steam-engines without fly-wheels; and the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which 1 have illustrated some embodiments of my in vention, Figure l is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating one form thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further embodiment, one of the motor steam-cylinders being omitted.

in order to equalize the force of an expansion steam-engine and a compressor or blowing engine operated directly without using a fly-wheel, the two apparatuses may be arranged as shown in Fig. 1, in which-2 is a low-pressure cylinder for the steam and 2 1 a low-pressure cylinder for the air, while 20. represents a high-pressure cylinder for the steam and 22 a high-pressure cylinder for the air. A piston-rod 4 works in both of the cylinders 2 and 2A, having in each cylinder a suitable piston, as at 3 and 25.

By means of a block 8 secured to the piston-rod 1 said piston-rod is pivotally connected to the two levers 9 and 10, the opposite ends of which are pivoted to the pistonrods 18 and 19, respectively. The centers of each of the levers 9 and 10 are pivoted to the links 12 and 13, the opposite ends of which are pivoted at pivots 14: and 15 to parts 16 and 17 of the machine-frame, to which the cylinders 2 24 2O 22 are fastened. By means of this lever arrangement the pistons 21 and 23 move outward during the first half of each stroke of the pistons 3 and 25 and move inward during the other half.

The steam-engine works in the following manner: Live steam is admitted into 20, which causes the piston 21 to move inward. At the end of this movement piston 21 begins to move outward again, piston 3 begins a new stroke, the valves 7 6 5 are shifted, and, piston 21 moving outward, steam is passed into cylinder 2, expanding (like in a Woolf compound engine) until the outward motion of 21 is finished and piston 3 has reached the middle of its stroke. At this moment live steam is admitted into the cylinder 20 again, while steam continues to expand in 2.

The compressor works in the following mannor: Air sucked in during one stroke of piston 2'5 'for instance, a left stroke-As compressed during the following right stroke, valve 2'7 being closed, because the pressure below piston 23 moving outward is higher than in 24. hen piston 23 moves inward again, the valve 27 opens and the air is forced into 22, being com pressed to a higher degree. At the moment piston 23 begins to move outward again valve 27 closes. Air is compressed by piston 23 moving outward to the terminal pressure and forced into the air-chamber through valve 28. The valve 26 is closed. during the right stroke of the piston 24:.

If there was only one expansion steam-cylinder 2 and only one compressor-cylinder 24f, thedriving force of the steam-cylinder would exceed the resisting force of the compressor during the first part of the stroke, and during the second part of it the resisting force would exceed the driving force. By adding the high-pressure steam-cylinder 20 and the highpressure air-cylinder 22 the surplus of driving force during the first part of the stroke is utilized, first, by the work of the air in cylinders 22 24Qand, second, by the resisting force of piston 21 forcing the steam into 2, and the lack of driving force during the second part of the stroke is compensated, first, by the steamwork of 21 and 3 and, second, by the supporting force of piston 23, exerted by the air-pressure below piston 23.

By the fact that each cylinder 20 and 22 is a proper higlrpressure cylinder during one half and a balance-cylinder during the other half of the stroke of 25 and 3 this invention differs from similar devices using simple balance-cylinders.

As to the effect, this invention permits of perfect expansion of the steam and the highest economy, giving perfect uniformity of driving and resisting forces throughout the stroke.

in Fig. 2 (in which cylinder 20 and connections are omitted) is shown an arrangement by which the surplus of driving force during the first part of the stroke of 3 and 25, mentioned above, is utilized only by the airwork of 22 and 23, and the lack of driving force during the second part of the stroke is compensated only by the driving forces of piston 23 moving inward.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination of a low-pressure aircylinder, a motor steam-cylinder in line therewith, a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the pistons in the lowpressure aircylinder and the steam-cylinder, a high-pressure air-compressor cylinder at right angles to first-named cylinders, piston and pistonrod therefor, a connecting-tube between the high-pressure and low-pressure air-cylinders, a lever pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the piston-rod in the low-pressure cylinders and to the right-angle piston-rod, a link pivoted at one end to the middle of said lever and at the other end to a fixed pivot.

2. The combination of a low-pressure aircylinder, a low-pressure steam-cylinder in line therewith, a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the pistons in the two lowpressure cylinders, two high-pressure cylinders, one for steam and one for air, at right angles to the first-named cylinders, pistons and piston-rods therefor, two levers, each pivotally connected at opposite ends to the piston-rod of the low-pressure cylinders and to one of the high-pressure piston-rods and two links, each pivoted at one end to the middle of one of said levers and at the other end to a fixed pivot.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILHELM ENGELKING.

Witnesses WILLIAM ESSENWEIN, OSKAR KUNZELL. 

